New Releases On Netflix Streaming In May 2014

Updated on August 16, 2014

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Deciding what to watch on Netflix can feel like a daunting task. We have all been there, scrolling through tons of options on a Friday night and wasting most of the evening before we ever make a selection.

If you don't believe me take a quick peek at your queue. If you're like most of us, you have a bunch of movies and shows save to view that you never seem in the mood to watch. Am I right?

This phenomenon is so prevalent there's even a spoof of a new subscription rate for views that simply scroll through the selections but never actually watch anything.

But is doesn't have to be this way, this article can help by listing what new items Netflix will be adding in May. Check back often as new items are added weekly to Netflix's line up.

Netflix Parody: The Browse Endlessly Plan

The list below will be updated weekly as new releases are announced. Netflix does not typically disclose this information until 3 weeks prior to releasing new material on it's streaming site.

New Releases On Netflix Streaming In May

Freedom Land

007: A View To A Kill

All I Want

Backdraft

Bed of Rose

Beethoven

Boys Don't Cry

Bram Stoker's Dracula

CandyMan

Cursed

DiggsTown

Encounters at the end of the World

Fantastic Voyage

Federal Hill

Fido

Final Fantasy VII

007: For Your Eyes Only

Forrest Gump

Friday the 13th Part 7

From Russia with Love

Godzilla

007: Goldfinger

Heavy Metal

Hook

Ichi the Killer

Kill Bill

Kill Bill Volume 2

La Bamba

007: Live and Let Die

Love Is The Devil

007: Never Say Never Again

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Paper Moon

Revenge

Single White Female

Sneakers

Romancing the Stone

St. Elmo's Fire

Starman

That's What I Am

The Big Chill

The City of Lost Children

The Jewel of the Nile

The Human Stain

The Big Hit

The Buddy Holly Story

The Juror

The Legend of the Drunken Master (Jackie Chan)

007: The Living Daylights

The Prince of Tides

The Odessa File

Top Secret!

007: You Only Live Twice

Winged Migration

Tortilla Soup

Have A 007 James Bond Marathon In May

Why Is Netflix's Movie Selection So Weak?

Chances are if you're here looking up new release information on Netflix it's because you have run into the same problem as most Netflix subscribers, you like the idea of Netflix but in reality you have trouble finding things you actually want to watch.

Remember back to the days of the brick and mortar rental stores like Blockbuster?

Years ago they seemed to have much more up to date offerings than we are currently seeing out of any of the streaming services.

Why is that?

It would seem since companies like Netflix don't have to buy the physical copy of the DVD like they used to and also don't have the cost of mailing and handling the movie they should have more up to date offerings, not less. It would seem they should have a lot more money to spend on paying for the rights to stream pretty much all of the new releases.

The problem is the model the studios use to sell the licensing rights to Netflix. As stated in an article from Techdirt, in the past, stores like Blockbuster would simply pay for the DVD and once they owned it they would rent it or sell it however they wanted. Now, however, companies like Netflix are basically renting media from the studios at a much higher rate than they used to pay for purchasing the DVD. This is why you see some movies on Netflix get added, removed and added again to the streaming library as they renegotiate licensing fees and lets others expire.

Simply put, Netflix is not able to afford to offer the same new releases it does on it's DVD service on it's streaming service as they have to pay so much more for streaming rights as compared to simply paying a one time fee to buy the DVD.

Hopefully as we move forward in the new and expanding streaming industry we will start seeing the same new releases on streaming services that we currently do on Redbox and the Netflix DVD program.

Until then, there are still many excellent television shows, Netflix originals and hidden gems available on the Netflix streaming service. And for $8 a month you only need to find a few things to watch to make it worthwhile.

Get Your 80's On: Saint Elmo's Fire

Season Two of Derek Available May 30

One of the better Netflix originals is, Derek starring Ricky Gervais.

Gervais plays the role of an autistic voluneer at a nursing home in England. There is a very funny case of characters and not only is Derek funny it can be touching as well.

Season one of Derek is currently available on Netflix streaming and season two will be released all at once on May 30th for those of you that enjoy binge watching shows.

You May Have Missed: The Returned

Don't let the sub titles discourage you from watching this great show out of France.

The Returned is a supernatural drama which revolves around a small mountain town in France where the deceased start showing back up. These are not Zombies, they are more akin to ghosts but everyone can see them and the ghosts themselves don't realize that they have died.

The show is very clever and unlike anything else currently on television. The show's first season consists of 8 episodes and was picked up for a second season. The Returned won an International Emmy for best drama series.

The Returned garnered positive reviews in both Europe and the United States and horror master Stephen King counts himself as a big fan of the series.

Season one of The Returned is currently available on Netflix streaming.

The Trailer Park Boys

Neftlx is currently in production of a new season of The Trailer Park Boys.

This style of humor is definitely not for everyone but it certainly does have its momements.

The exclusive Netlfix only new season of The Trailer Park Boys will be available only on Netflix streaming in fall 2014.

Hook

Netflix Originals

What is your favorite Netflix Original?

Netflix Original Poll

Netlfix has been producing some great shows itself, including House of Cards, Orange is the New Black amongst others.

Netflix does not report the amount of viewers that watch their shows but one can garner from informal polls and media buzz which shows have been hits and which shows are struggling to reach an audience.

Without question the runaway hits for Netflix have been Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey. (Side note, House of Cards is based on a British show of the same name which many critics have sited as being better than the American version, it is also available to stream)

Results of last month's poll:

House of Cards 34%

Orange is the New Black 43%

Lillyhammer 3%

Hemlock Grove 10%

Derek 2%

Arrested Development Final Season 8%

As you can see from the previous month's poll, viewers seem to like Orange is the New Black the best with 43% of the vote, followed closely by House of Cards with 34%.

Even though, the Ricky Gervais show, Derek has only been tracking at 2% of the votes over several polls a second season of this show is scheduled to be released shortly. If you have not seen Derek you should catch up on season one. It likely gets fewer votes as it is not as well publizied as some of the other shows Netflix produces but may in fact be a better overall show than House of Cards.

Orange is the New Black

The second season of the hit Netflix series, Orange is the New Black will be available to stream on June 6th 2014.

Orange is the new Black details the ordeal of a middle class women sentenced to a minimum security prison for a drug violation.

The series recently changed categories from a dramedy to a comedy in order to make itself more competitve during awards season.